**AUSTIN, TEXAS — **Forty-six Texas House Democrats today sent a letter to Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz demanding they reject the devastating One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which would slash billions from programs that feed hungry Texans and provide healthcare to working families across the state.
The letter warns that OBBBA’s proposed nearly $300 billion cut to SNAP would force the state to find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, while $863 billion in Medicaid cuts would eliminate healthcare for 303,000 Texans and destroy 55,000 Texas jobs in 2026 alone.
“Texas already faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 5.4 million Texans struggling to put food on the table,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu. “This devastating legislation would present Texas legislators with an impossible choice: either find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, or watch hundreds of thousands of our fellow Texans go hungry. To House Democrats, that’s an unacceptable choice. Our Senators must reject these Washington DC games and take action to protect Texas jobs, our economy, and our most vulnerable residents.”
The proposed federal cuts in OBBBA would devastate the state's proud record of fiscal responsibility. Starting in 2028, Texas would be forced to cover $1.08 billion per year just in food benefits, plus an additional $87 million annually in administrative costs.
“Texas families should not become collateral damage in Washington's budget games,” the letter states. “Our state — which already contributes far more to the federal government than we receive back — deserves senators who will fight for working families, not abandon them in their time of need.”
House Democrats are calling on Cornyn and Cruz to either remove these harmful provisions or vote against the entire bill.
Read the full letter here.